Article handling and sorting apparatus



March 27, 1951 A H MERMN m 2,546,314

ARTICLE HANDLING ,AND SORTING APPARATUS Filed April 2, 1946 6 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN TORS H.H ME/PW/N I I f a M WATERS er ATTORNEY March 27, 1951 H. H. MERWIN ETAL 2,546,314

ARTICLE HANDLING AND SORTING APPARATUS- Filed April 2, 1946 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 I i 94 INVENTORS H. h. MERW/N W 8y DIZZZ/IEERS A T TORNE) March 27, 1951 H. H. MERWIN ETAL 2,546,314

ARTICLE HANDLING AND SORTING APPARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. /0

Filed April 2, 1946 INVENTORS MERW/N By 01/ WATERS ATTORNEY March 7, 1951 H. H. MERWIN ETAL 4 ARTICLE HANDLING AND SOR'IING APPARATUS-U Filed April 2, 1946 e Sheets-Sheet 5 f/v VENTORS H.hf MERW/IV 0. l. WA 7595 MAN-ll ATTORNEY March 27, 1951 H. H. MERWIN ETAL 2,546,314

ARTICLE HANDLING AND SORTING APPARATUS Filed April 2, 1946 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 FIG. 8 "i 3 f 1.50 I 46/I// 57 Patented Mar. 27, 1951 ARTICLE HANDLING SORTIN G APPARATUS Harry H. Merwin,

Rutherford,

and Daniel Vaughn Waters, Flemington, N. J assignors to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 2, 1946, Serial N 0. 659,018

This invention relates to article handling and sorting apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for handling and sorting metal coated mica plates for use in the manufacture of mica condensers.

In the manufacture of mica condensers, plates or thin strippings of mica, blanked the required size, and coated with a desired metal such as silver, are subjected to certain tests; first, to determine if they are porous, that is, whether or not they have defective holes therein; second, to determine their Q value, and finally, to sort them accordingly.

An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which is simple in structure and highly efficient in operation for sorting articles according to conditions resulting from tests.

With this and other objects in view, the sorting apparatus comprises a container for a supply of articles disposed adjacent a loading position and a movable carriage having spaced terminals and interconnected mechanisms for intermittently moving the carriage. In its intermittent motion, the carriage positions the terminals successively to receive articles from the supply, actuates contact fingers for holding the articles against the terminals while being tested and then releases the fingers to drop each article into one of a plurality of receptacles selectively according to the result of the tests to which it has been subjected.

In one embodiment, the carriage is provided with terminals in spaced positions adjacent its periphery and a cam controlled transfer element feeds the articles one at a time from a supply hopper to the terminal at the loading position. The contact fingers are also cam controlled in timed relation to the transfer operation, to hold the article on its terminal during the intermittent rotation of the table. The terminals and their respective contact fingers are included in circuits during subsequent cycles of operation of the apparatus to subject the articles, which in the present embodiment are mica plates, to certain tests to determine first the presence of any.

structural defects, and if no defects are present, to subsequently test the articles or mica plates to determine their electrical characteristics. As a result of these tests, a solenoid may be operated to position a cam to actuate the contact fingers to free one of the articles at one location if 'it'is defective, another solenoid being operable to cause a cam to free the article at another position, should the electrical characteristics of the article be below a given quality, and

2 Claims. (Cl. 20981) a fixed cam operating the contact finger at a final position if the article proves satisfactory, hoppers being provided for the articles at all of these positions.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the apparatus showing approximately the left half thereof;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the remaining or right half of the apparatus;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the apparatus;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 6--B of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line l'l of Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 88 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 99 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line lit-Ill of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 11 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line lI--|l of Fig. 4.

Referring now to the drawings, attention is first directed to Fig. i which illustrates a vertical frame 20 having a motor 2| mounted at 22 upon the side of the frame. A variable speed pulley unit 23 is driven by the motor 2i, which in turn, drives an input shaft 24 of a worm gear reducing unit 2-5. The output shaft of the unit 25 has a chain and sprocket connection 28 with a cam shaft 29. Bearing brackets 30 for the cam shaft 29 is mounted upon a supporting plate 32, which in turn, is mounted upon the frame 20. The supporting plate also has a vertical stationary shank 33 mounted thereon as shown in Fig. 4, the shank having a reduced portion 34 extending through an aperture in the support 32. The shank 33 is hollow and open at its upper end to support bearings 35 for a shaft 36. A table 40 is fixedly mounted upon the shaft 35 and is of the cross-sectional contour shown in Fig. 4. Only one side portion of the table is shown in this figure, but it is of the same formation throughout its circular contour providing an apron portion at its periphery for concealing plates.

3 various portions of the apparatus positioned therebeneath. The table carries a plurality of terminals 4| mounted at spaced positions on the apron portion and insulated therefrom by inner members 42 and outer members 43. The outer members 43arerecessed to .partially ,receive the heads 44 of their respective terminals.

Contact fingers 45 of the general contour shown in Fig. 4 have forked outer ends 41 (Fig. 10), their inner ends being secured by clamps 48 on cam levers 49. As illustrated in Figs- 2 and 3, there is a contact finger 46 for each terminalythe levers 49 being disposed in circular arrangement about the table and theirfingers extending radially toward their respective terminals. The levers 49 are supported by pivots:.59. onithe table and carry cam rollers on their lower ends which extend through apertures 52 in the table. An individual spring 53 for each cam lever .49provides a force to move its finger toward its terminal to hold an article, such as mica plates on the terminal. Through the force .of-the springs 53, the cam rollers 5| are normally urged inwardly so that they may be contactedby various. cams hereinafter described.

A cam supporting element 55 (Figs-4 and 7) is centrally apertured forthe shaft 36 and an adjacent hub portion of the table 49, and ,is-rigidly mounted upon the upper end of the hollowvshank 33 (Fig. 4).

In the present embodiment of the invention,

the apparatus performs three identicalgroupsof operations in feeding, testing and sorting mica For this reason,.there are three'groups of cams carried-by the'cam element55. One set of cams 51- (Figs. '7 and-8) is supported in guideways 59 for vertical movement into and out of operating positions to cause ejection of articles or mica plates which are porous. Another group of cams 59 identical in structure to :the cams 51 and mounted insimilar guideways-Bil are movable vertically into and out of operating position to eject the-mica plates which are'not physically defective, but which fail'to have the necessary electrical characteristics. a clockwise direction, fixedcams 5! are mounted upon the element 55 to cause actuation ofthe fingers .45 to eject the .mica plates which have passed the tests.

Thecams g5! are normally-in their lower positions outof possible engagement with the cam rollers 5| but theyare moved .vertically into the path of the cam rollers as shown in Fig. 8 through the energization of their solenoid 93. There are three solenoids 63, one for each of the cams 51,:but the illustration of one is believed sufiicient for all three. The solenoid 63 shown in Fig. 8 is supported by a bracket 54 mounted upon the support 32. The core 55 of the solenoid is pivotally connected to a lever 66, pivoted at 61 to the bracket 54, its outer end being connected to a rod 68 which supports its respective cam 51. The cam 51 with the rod 68, lever 68 and core 65 will drop downwardly by gravity, to a stop 19, positioning the cam out of the path of the roller 5|, energization of the solenoid moving its associated mechanism with the cam to the position shown in Fig.8. A similar mechanism is provided for each of the cams 59 including a solenoid H mounted upon a bracket 12 and having its core '13 pivotally connected to a lever 14. The lever 14 is pivotallysupported at one end at 15, its other end being pivotally connected to a rod 16 which supports its respective cam 59 on the upper end thereof.

Next-to the cams 59 in There are three groups of receptacles for the three groups of cams, each group including a receptacle 18 for receiving the materially defective mica plates, a receptacle 19 for receiving the mica plates passing the first test, but of insufircient electrical characteristics and a receptacle 99 to receive the mica plates which have passed the tests. These receptacles are disposed adjacent the table to receive the mica plates as they are released from between the fingers 4t and contacts a 4 l.

A mechanism is provided at each one of the three-operating positions to automatically feed the mica plates singly to the terminals at the loading positionsand to cause operation of the .contact fingers .to have them positioned free of the terminals to receive the mica plates and to release the fingers so that they will be closed on the mica plates prior to the movement of the transfer mechanism away therefrom. The mechanismfor operating the contact fingers 46 at these positions includes a. control member 82 disposed concentric with theshank 33 and movable axially thereon. The control member 92 is supported by springs 83 carried by a collar Bil-fixedly mounted on the shank 33. The collared .is of the general contour shown in Fig. 5, one portion thereof including bearings 85 for a shaft 85. The shaft 85 has a cam lever 8Tmounted thereon intermediat its ends, theends of the shaft supporting lifting levers 88. The outer ends of the levers 88 support pins 89 which extendinwardly through apertures in brackets 99 supported by the control member .82. A .cam 9| mounted upon the shaft 29 cooperates with a cam roller 92 carried by the camlever 8! to rock the shaft 85 to move-the levers 88 (Fig. 4) clockwise to pull the controlmember- 82 downwardly against the force of-the springs 83. Holding blocks 95 mounted at spaced positions on the periphery of the control member 82, as illustrated in Fig. '7, normallyextend upwardly to be engaged bythe cam rollers 5i-tohold their respective fingers outwardly as the cam rollers leave their respective cams 5|. When the cam rollers 5| engage the blocks 94, their respective fingers 45 arein their loading positions.

At this time, a transfer or feeding mechanism is in operation at each one of the loading positions to transfer micaplates singly from supplies to their respective terminals. This feeding mechanism includesa transfer element I98 which is operated in timed relationwith the movement of the table to transfer the leading article of -a supply of articles (metal coatedmica plates) 19! 195. The valve |95controls the vacuum supply for all three positions, but to illustrate the invention, only one feeding mechanismis shown in detail, all threemechanismsibeing illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 combined and identified by reference numerals Hit. A camifl'imounted upon the shaft 29 operates the valve I95 into open :position at a given time and allows thevalveto close during operation *of the feeding mechanisms. The transfer element 109 is supported-in aswivel line .position shown in Fig. 4 to the dot dash lineposition shown in this figure. A gear II 4 (Fig. 6) is mounted upon the shaft I I at the opposite side of the bracket III and interengages a gear segment H5 which is fixedly mounted upon a shaft H6. The shaft H6 is journalled in a suitable bearing in the bracket III one end of p the shaft having a lever H1 mounted thereon.

The opposite end of the shaft H6 carries a cam lever H8, the lower end of which carries a roller I I9 engaging the periphery of a cam I20. The cam I is mounted upon the shaft 29 and is driven thereby so as to operate the feeding mechanisms in timed relation with the other operating means associated with the shaft 29.

Returning now to the lever II1 (Figs. 4, 5 and" 6), the outer end of this lever is pivotally connected to a rod I2I, the other end of the rod being pivotally connected at I22 to a control plate I23 which is mounted for rotation between the collar 84 and a fixed collar I24 on the spindle 33. Similar rods I25 and I26, pivotally mounted at spaced positions on the control plate I23 to simultaneously actuate the feeding mechanisms including the transfer elements of the other feeding units I09. As illustrated in Fig. 4, the high portion of the cam I20 functions to return the element I00 to the receiving position above the supply of articles or mica plates MI and to hold the element in this position until it is time to feed another article to the terminal at the loading position; The low portion of the cam I20 renders the spring I21 effective to rotate the plate I23 about the shank 33 moving all of the rods I2I, I25 and I26 toward their respective feeding units to rotate their shafts H6, rock their gear segments H5, rotate their sprockets H4 and shafts H0 to rotate their levers I09 clockwise (Fig. 4) and swing the transfer elements I00 from the receiving solid line position to the feeding dot dash line position.

The stack of articles or mica plates. IOI are disposed in a hopper I30 on a plunger I3I movable in the hopper under the force of a spring I32 controlled by a ratchet or toothed rod I 33. The rod I33 egrtends through the bottom of the hopper and through a portion of a bracket I34 which supports the hopper and its associated mechanism. A pawl I36 (Figs. 4 and 11) carried by a lever I31, pivotally supported at I38 by side portions of the bracket I34, is formed to engage the teeth of the rod I 33 and to intermittently release the rod to advance the supply of articles. The lever I31 is normally held downwardly to hold the pawl in engagement with the adjacent tooth of the rod I33 by a spring I40. The mechanism for actuating the lever I31 for each feeding operation includes a link I M having its lower end pivotally connected at I42 to the lever I31, the upper end of the link being connected at I43 toa cam lever I44. The lever I44 is mounted upon'a shaft I45 and carries a cam roller I46 which is under the control of a cam I41.

tated therewith to cause operation of the feed- The cam I41 .is mounted upon a shaft 29 and is roing mechanism in timed relation with the other operating units of the apparatus. A lever I50 mounted on the shaft I45 has its free end connected to a rod I5I which connects the lever to a control disc I52. The disc I52 functions similarly to the control plate I 23 and is mounted for rocking movement on the reduced portion 34 of the spindle 33, it being held in place by a collar I53. Other rods I54 (Figs. 2 and 3) are connected to the control disc I52 to operate the other feeding mechanisms of the units I06.

The mechanism for intermittently rotating the table 40 includes a barrel type cam I mounted upon the shaft 29 (Figs. 1 and 2) to operate in conjunction with a circular arrangement of cam rollers I6I carried by an annular member I62 supported by the table as illustrated in Fig. 4. There is one cam roller I6I and one controlling space between adjacent rollers, for each set of terminals M and contact fingers 46. The cam I60 moves the table the distance between the centers of the cam rollersIBI during each cycle of operation of the shaft 29 and holds the table against movement during the larger portion of each operating cycle of the apparatus.

Since the present invention resides in themechanical features of the feeding and sorting means and is not concerned with the details of the electrical tests made on articles sorted, the disclosure of the electrical testing equipment normally used with the apparatus has been limited to those portions necessary to an understanding of the present invention. The terl'ninals 4| (Fig. 4) are each connected electrically to spaced contacts I63 of an annular insulating member I64 mounted for movement with the table 40. Terminal members I65 of each contact finger 46 are connected electrically to other contacts I66 of the insulating member I 64. Through the aid of brushes I61 and I68, the companion groups of terminals 4| and contact fingers 46 may be included in test circuits under the control of micro switches I10 operated by cams I1I mounted on the shaft 29 (Figs. 2 and 6).

Upon considering the operation of the apparatus, only one feeding unit will be included in the description and one station on the table will be followed from the loading position through the tests to the ejecting positions. Referring now to Fig. 4, with the transfer element I 00 in the receiving position and the leading article or mica plate IOI against the nose of the transfer element, the contact finger 46 at the loading position is held away from its terminal by the adjacent block 94 on the control element 02. The next action of apparatus at this station, when the shaft 20 has rotated sufficiently to move the high portion of the cam I20 beyond the roller H6, is to free the shaft H6 for rotation by the force of the spring I21. The force in this spring I21 will rotate the plate I23 about the spindle 33 a distance required to operate the transfer mechanism. This rotation or rocking movement of the plate I23 will move the rod I2I to the left (Fig. 4) or to the right (Fig. 6) rocking the shaft I I6 with the lever I I! and gear segment I I5 to rotate the pinion I I4 and rock the shaft I I0 a distance suificient for the movement of the transfer element I00 from the receiving position to the feeding position.

Prior to the movement of the transfer element from the receiving position to the feeding position, the valve I05 has been operated by its cam I01 50 that a vacuum or suction in the transfer element I 00 will cause the element to pick up the leading article in th hopperI30 and transfer it element. rshutzofi vacuum line and vent the line :so that the grip' of'tr-ansfer element lilil'is broken. When 'ithezarticleis'held .on the'terminal by its contact tea position on the fterminal 4l fat' the loa'din position. .The :transf er element remains in this vposition holding the article .in place ion the :ter-

minalnntil (the high portion of the cam .9 I :rides .beneaththeroller 92.0f the cam lever 'I8'I*to=rock 1 the cam lever and the shaft 86 and'move-ith'e control memberztZ :downwardlytofreethesblock 94 from theroller- 5 l allowing the sprin'g153' to move the contact finger K6 into engagement with "the article. straddles the :nose i of the-transfer element [ill] 'to grip the article'before it is released by theitransfer At this point, valve 105 is closed to finger, the transfer element will return to .its

receiving position and at agiven time interval thereafter, the cam Nil-will actuate the lever I44 -;and 1ink l lltoactuate the'lever I31 andtpawl I36 to free the rod I33 for upward movement the thickness of'one article by theiforce of the spring 432. vIn this manner the .supply .of articles is .advanced placing thenext'leading'article in the receiving position with suitable force from the :spring 132 to cause the leadingartic'le'to close the :nose of the element vlllil after the previous .leading'article has been transferred to the table. In actual. structure, the inoseof thetransfer element is -movabl axially, backed up by a spring (not shown) to allow for possible variation in the receiving position of the leading article lOl in the'hopper 4'36. Afterthe table ismoved to the next position, this :cycle of operation is re- ;peated to feed another article to the terminal ,just moved into the loading position. However,

thecdescription will follow thearticle previously loadedonto the table. An electrical connection is made with-each coated .sideof the article to include it in testing circuits completed during the next two intervalsof operation of the apparatus. During the first interval of operation, an electrical test is-made uponthe article'to determine whether or not it has any materialdefects such asholes or otheropen spots in 'theimetallic coatings. During the next .operating cycle :of theeapparatus, another test is completed on the article through the electricalconnection of the terminal and contact finger carried :up through the contacts I63 and [66 and their brushes I61 and 168.

8, freeing the article so that it will drop into the receptacle 18. When this has been accomplished, the i-electrical'circuit through-the solenoid 63 is opened and .the cam 5'! resumes iitsnormal position'outof the path of the next roller 5| unless the next article proves to have similar defects.

The second electrical test uponthe articlemay determine, "for example, .whether ornot the electricalcharacteristics of the article are of a suincient-or satisfactory quality. If they are not, the

:solenoid 1| .willibe energized-tomoveits cam-59 :into :the:path of the roller causing the finger 46 to free the .low quality article todrop into the rrecepta'cle '19. .All articles which pass the tests The forked vend of the contact 'Ifinger I wi11 -move pastithe receptacles 18: and i and: will rbe 'freed -tddrop into theireceptacle =bythe cam rollers BI for the "contact-fingers engaging the cam J61.

With a single driving "means in the motor 2 I and a single groupo'f controls-mounted upon the common shaft 2-9, the various mechanisms for one section of the apparatus are operated in timed relation with each other, and by linking these controls With the controls ofthe othersectionsof .;the apparatus, they too will operate in timedrelation with-each other and with those of the main section. The apparatu is-fully automatic in-its operation, the only requirement for the operator beingtofillthehopper prior to starting the apparatus.

Although specific improvements of the inven- -tion'have been'shown and described, it will be understood that they arebut illustrative and that various modifications may be madethereinwithout departing'from the scope and spirit of 'this inventionas defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed-is:

1. In an article sorting apparatus, a circular table having a downwardly projecting apron .at its periphery, insulated electrical terminals disposed at spaced positions around the table on the apron, means to intermittently rotate the table aboutits axi to advance the terminals successively to a loading .position,'amagazine, for articles disposed in stacked formation therein, mounted with its open upper end at 'a given position relative'to the table'at the loading position,a support interposed'between'the magazine and the table, a transfer ielem'enthaving a hollow nozzle at one end connected to a suction means whereby the transfer elementmay successively remove the articles from the open end of the magazine and transfer them singly .to the terminals when disposed at theloadingposition, a mechanism operable to move the transfer .ele- 'ment through an operating cycle from aposition Where the nozzle thereof extends into the open end of the magazine to engage 'the 'topmos'tarticle, liftthe article from the magazine, move the transfer "element through'an 'arc'into .alignment with the terminal at the loading position, force the article againstthe'terminal'and return to a position where the nozzle extends into'the open end of the magazine to receive thenext article, contact fingers for theterminals having forked ends to straddle theouter end of the;nozzle to engage articles andhold them on their terminals at the'loading position, and-mechanism actuable to movethe contact finger at-the leading position into engagement with the article to firmly hold the article in engagement with the terminal at thatpositionprior to'the movement of the transfer element free o'f'the article.

2.1n an article sorting*apparatua acircular table having adownwardly projecting apron'at its periphery, insulated electrical terminals disposed at'spac'ed positions around the table'onthe apron, means --'to intermittently rotate the table about vits axisto .advance the terminals successively to :a loading position, a magazine, for articles disposed in stacked formation therein, mounted with its open upper end at a given position -relative'to 'the table at the loading position, a support interposed between-the magazine and thetable, a -transfer element-having a hollow nozzle at one end'connec'tedto asuction means whereby the transferelement may successively "remove the articles 'from the open end of the magazine and transfer them singly to the terminals when disposed at the loading position, a hollow member to slidably support the transfer element pivotally mounted on the support, an oscillating arm pivotally mounted at one position on the support and pivotally connected at another position to the transfer element, mechanism operable through successive cycles to move the transfer element from a position where the nozzle thereof extend into the open end of the magazine, to engage the topmost article, lift the article from the magazine, move the transfer element through an are into alignment with the terminal at the loading position, force the article against the terminal and return to a position where the nozzle of the transfer element extends into the open end of the magazine to receive the next article, contact fingers for the terminals having forked ends to straddle the outer end of the nozzleto engage articles and hold them 20 on their terminals at the loading position, means normally urging the contact finger to move their forked ends toward their terminals, a normally stationary cam positioned to move the contact HARRY H. DANIEL VAUGHN WATERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Lake June 6, 1944 

